Connector



C. RESNICK April 12, 1960 CONNECTOR Filed Aug. 15, 1956 O O O l INVENTOR. 'lzawles Resnick ATTOR CONNECTOR Charles Resnick, Freeport, Application August 15, 1956, Serial No. 604,138

1 Claim. (Cl. 24-265) This invention relates to a device for detachably con-- necting a strap or band to a wrist watch and any other article requiring a strap or band and adapted for the connection' of the same thereto. Y

An object of the present invention is the provision of a device of the indicated character by which a strap or band may be quickly and easily connected with, and also be disconnected from an article, such as a wrist watch or other article having pairs of spaced lugs, and each pair of lugs having axially alined holes therein.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a strap and connector therefor which embody improvements inl construction and operation enabling the strap -to be conveniently connected with, and disconnected from, an article properly equipped, without the use of extra instrumentalities.

With the foregoing objects, other objects and advantages will appear when the following description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a plan view showing a portion of a wrist watch, a strap and the connector of the present invention by which the strap is detachably connected with the watch.

Fig. 2 shows the connector of the present invention per se.

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the connector. t

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. l illustrating the manner in which the connector may be manipulated to connect the strap to the wrist watch or to disconnect the strap therefrom.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings there are shown portions of a wrist watch, namely, the case and spaced lugs 11 on the case, selected to illustrate the present invention which is applied thereto by way of example. Each lug 11 has a hole 12 therein, the hole in one lug being in axial alinement with the hole in the other lug.

The connector 13 of the present invention, generally stated, comprises a barrel or tubular member 14, pins 15, and a helical compression `spring 16. The tubular member 14 is shorterthan the distance between the opposed faces with the holes 12 of the lugs 11. Each of the pins 15 is reduced at intervals to provide it with 'an end portion 17, an intermediate portion 18 smaller in diameter than the diameter of the end portion 17, and an end portion 19 smaller in diameter than the diameter of the intermediate portion 18. Such formation of each pin 15 provides it with axially spaced circular shoulders constituting stops and 21 respectively.

The pins 15 are loosely arranged or telescoped in the opposite ends respectively of the tubular member 14. The large end portion 17 of each pin 15 is disposed wholly within the tubular member 14, the intermediate portion 18vprojects Afrom within the tubular member to the exterior thereof, and the end portion 19 is disposed wholly exteriorly of the tubul-ar member in the normal projected or advanced connector retaining position of the pin.

Internal tlanges 22 on the opposite ends respectively of tubular member 14 oppose the shoulders 20 of the ref spective pins 15. Thus the shouldersZ()V and flanges 22 constitute coacting means Iwhich limit the outward axial movement of the pins 15 Yinto their projected connector retaining-position with respect to the tubular member 14. The shoulder 20`of `each pin 15 and its coactiveY ilange 22 also cause the movement of the pin with the tubular member 14 into a retracted releasing position in response to the appropriate axial movement of the tubular member when the aforesaidV movement of one of the pins into its retracted releasing position is being effected Whilev the other pin is held axially immovable.

The spring 16 is arranged within the'ftubular member 14 between the pins 15 in contact with the endportions 17 thereof, thereby yieldingly holding the pins 15 in their connector retaining position in cooperation with the shoulders 20 and the flanges 22.

In order to conveniently cause the axial'movement of the tubular member 14 in one direction or the other opposite direction, the tubular member has a manipulator 23 formed integral therewith on the outside thereof in the nature of a ring. l

The connector described hereinabove is employed with a' strap or yband 24 for`the wrist watch inthe instant case. The strap or band is usually of two parts, one of which has a buckle and the other part has a series of holes therein to singly receive the tongue of the buckle in a manner and for la purpose well known. Each part of the strap or band has a loop formed on one end. Only one part of the strap or band is shown, and the loop thereon is designated 25. The loop 25 has a notch 26 therein directed lengthwise of the strap or band part. The connector is engaged in the loop 25 by ilexing it open to accommodate the ring 23 which is nally disposed in the notch 26 and projects outwardly through the latter. The connector extends through the loop disposed transversely with respect to the strap or band and its tubular member 14 is movable or slidable axially in the loop by means of the manipulator ring 23. The notch 26 is suiciently wide to permit the necessary degree of axial movement of the tubular member Y14 either to the right or left as viewed in Fig. 4.

The end portions 19 of the pins 15 are in axial alinement and are receivable in the holes 12 respectively. The diameter of the holes 12 is greater than the diameter of the end portions 19 so that the connector may be canted with respect to the lugs 11 when only one end portion 19 is engagedin one of the holes 12. t

From the foregoing it will be understood that, when it is desired to connect a strap or band part to the wrist watch, the connector, as arranged in the loop 25, is canted with the strap or band part. Then one pin 15 has its end portion 19 inserted into the hole 12 in one of the lugs 11, the left hand lug in the instant case. Then the other pin 15 has its end portion 19 alined with the hole 12 in the other lug 11, after which the ring 23 is manipulated to the left, thereby causing axial movement of the tubular member 14 to the left and simultaneously returning the connector into parallelism with the axis extending through the holes 12. Then the end portion 19 of the left hand pin 15 is entered into the hole 12 of the adjacent lug. As the tubular member 14 is moved axially in the loop 25 to the left by means of the ring 23, the right hand p-in 15 is brought into a retracted position with respect tothe right hand lug 11 by means of the related coacting means 20 and 22. Upon withdrawal of pressure on the ring 23, the spring 16 under tension forces the right hand pin end portion 19 into the hole 12 of the right hand lug 11. The shoulders 21 contacting the respective lugs v11 limit the degree of insertion of the pins '15 into the holes 12 and assure the centering of the tubu- H Pat-eared Apr. 12; 1960:

3 j lag-member 14 age! its-,ring gffwith respect to the strap and han@ and the Pigs 15- Y By repeating the above described manipulation` of the tubular member 14 by means of the ring 23, the right hand Pin l may be withdrewnffmm its 1191@ 12, Whereupon the connector is canted andJ the left hand pin isQ Camagey gf the Strap o r bend, Thrfere the present; connector is ladapted .for a two-,way operation. One'of they pins may be integral with the tubular member 14 in which c ase the connector will -be adapted vfor one-way operation- I laimr The combination of a strap having a folded, bifurcated end constituting two aligned spaced loops each of which has two open ends; a manually operable connector structure extending through the said aligned loops, said con nector structure comprising a tubular barrel member hav? ing open ends; a pair of plunger pins longitudinally slidable in said barrel member and projecting from the opposite ends thereof; spring means'in said barrel member, yieldably holding said pins in projecting positions inthe barrel member, each of said pins being retractable to a position fully retracted -in the member, against the @QIOH Of said spring means; cooperable means on thev v barrel member and pins as a unit longitudinally in the loops, thereby to effect a projection of one of the pins from one loop and a retraction of the other pin with respect to the other loop for the purpose of engaging the connector with and disengaging it from spaced bearings arranged to receive thesaid pins and to accommodate between them the said barrel member, the spacing between vthe loops being substantially greater than the thickness of the said knurled flange, thereby to enable the connector to have an appreciable longitudinal movement in the said loops.

References Cited in the tile ofl this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,194,484 Depullier et al Aug. 15, 1916 2,157,408 Greenberg May 9, 1939 2,510,938 Boots June 6, 19,50

FOREIGN PATENTS 426,102 Italy Oct. 2l, 1947 

